Wire-and-picket-fence machine



No. 6l6,930. Patented Jan. 3, I899. v J. B. JONES.

WIRE AND PICKET FENCE MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept, 30, 1897.) (No Modal.)

NITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. JONES, OF WVATERFORD, MICHIGAN.

WIRE-AND-PICKET-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 0.'616,930, dated January 3, 1899. Application filed September 30,1897- Serial No. 658,564. (No model.)

new and useful improvements in a fence-machine; and it consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter set forth and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View in side elevation illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a front ele vation. Fig. 3 is an elevation from the opposite side of the machine; Fig. 4 is adetail view of the bearing of one of the twisting:

wheels. sprocket-wheels in elevation. in section on the line 6 6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a View in section on the line 7 '7, Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the portion L with the open loops at its extremities. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the eyebolt m, embracing the Fig. 5 is a detail View of one of the Fig. 6 is a view bar M.

This invention belongs to that class of fence-making machines by which sets of longitudinal wires are twisted about a picket, the objectof the machine being to twist the longitudinal strands about the picket and about one another in the formation of the fence.

The invention is carried out as follows:

A represents any suitable vertical frame work provided with a bearing A, in which is journaled a driving-shaft B, provided with an operating-handle B. The driving-shaft is provided with apinion B meshing with a gear 0 upon a shaft 0, said shaft journaled in a bracket D, engaged upon the frame A. Upon the shaft 0 is a sprocket-wheel C E represents a series of twisting-wheels to engage the longitudinal strands of the wire, said twisting-wheels being rotatable. The twisting-wheels are formed, preferably, with a face-plate E formed with sprocketteethe on its periphery, a sprocket-chain F engaging the sprocket-wheel C with the toothed twisting-wheels. These twisting-wheels are ranged above and below the driving-shaft B, and one sprocket-chain serves to actuate all said twisting-wheels.

G represents a chain-tightener device, and G a sprocket-wheel serving to direct the chain in the desired manner.

The twisting-wheels are mounted in bearings H, one of the bearings being shown in detail in Fig. 4, one of said bearings formed with a bracket-arm H. The twisting-wheels are preferably made in two parts-the toothed face-plate E already described, and a rear face-plate E bolted to the plate E as indicated at e, the bearing I-I encircling the periphery of the plate E, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. The'plates E of the twisting-wheel are constructed with lateral grooves or recesses (indicated at 6 to permit the longitu dinal strands J of the fence being readily engaged with the twisting-wheel, the open slots 6 permitting the machine to be engaged upon the longitudinal strands and disengaged therefrom in a very simple, ready, convenient, and efficient manner. Between the plates E and E are preferably located rollers 6 against which the longitudinal wire strands may engage. Y

E represents additional twisting-wheels constructed in a manner similar to the twisting-wheels E, already described, and rotatable in bearings H, analogous to the bearings of the twisting-wheels E, the only essential diiferences between the twisting-wheels E and E being the fact that the twisting-wheels E mesh the one with the other, and so are driven the one from the other, the twisting-wheel E, adjacent to the lower sprocket-toothed twisting-wheel, being geared therewith, inasmuch as the longitudinal strands are located nearer together toward the lower part of the fence. The bearings H are provided with bales K, serving to direct the pickets into place between the longitudinal strands.

L denotes an arm of the frame fulcrumed toward one end upon the frame A, as indicated at Z, the opposite end of the arm L provided with a transversely-extended bracket L, provided with hooks Z preferably made open, as

indicated in Fig. 8, and to be readily hooked in place upon adjacent sets of longitudinal strands of the wire.

It is obviously important that the frame A should be located vertically, while the strands J of the wire on uneven or hilly ground must of necessity at times extend at an angle to the perpendicular. To permit the perpendicular location of the frame A under such circumstances, an arc-shaped bar M is engaged at its extremities with the frame A, upon which the arm L may oscillate, saidarm being held in fixed position upon the arc-shaped bar, as

by means of an eyebolt m and a tightening.

nut m, the bar M passing through the eye of said eyebolt. By loosening up the nut m the arm L may be raised or lowered to a desired position and then looked in position by tightening up said nut.

The bearing H is formed with an opening h at one side, through which the longitudinal strands may enter. First one strand of the set may be engaged through the opening h in the corresponding recess 6 and then by giving the twisting-wheel a halfturn the other strand may be engaged with the twistingwheel. The frame A is made of a single piece of angle-iron, the bearin gs H being secured thereto.

My invention especially contemplates making the sprocket-teeth on the twisting-Wheels or twisters E like the sprocketteeth of a bicycle-gear and to employ a bicycle sprocketchain in engagement therewith. The use of such a chain and sprocket-toothed twistingwheels gives a positive motion to the twistingwheels.

The bails K compel the pickets to enter the crotches of the wires in a Vertical position throughout.

By this construction I am enabled to do away with a wire-stretcher and to remove the machine from the wires at any point, the single angle-iron frame and other parts contributing to this end. By unhooking the bracket L from the Wires I am enabled to twist the Wires up close to the finishing-post.

The bracket-arm H is formed only on the lower bearing, said bracket being designed as a foot-rest for the pickets as they are put into position, so that their height will be uniform.

It is evident that the rear plate or wheel E serves as a hub for the sprocket-wheel, as well as provides withthe sprocket-wheel a housing for the rollers e hat is claimed as new is- In a fence-making machine, the combina tion of a frame, bearings connected with the frame, and a series of twisting-wheels to engage longitudinal fence-strands, each of said twisting-wheels constructed with a toothed sprocket-wheel E, and with a hollow rear wheel E secured to the sprocket-Wheel, the sprocket Wheel constructed with lateral grooves or recesses to receive the longitudi nal strands of the fence, the rear wheel serving as a hub for the sprocket-wheel and revoluble within the corresponding bearing, and rollers housed within said wheels, for the pur= pose described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specifica tion in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. JONES.

Vitnesses: I

N. S. WRIGHT, O. B. BAENZIGER. 

